Business of Writing: Promoting Yourself As A Brand
Summary:
More authors are promoting themselves as a brand & their stories as their product. Learn how to make branding work for you, get tips for getting your name out there, & hear about the pitfalls.
Pull back the curtain on traditional publishing and learn how to take your first draft through edits, querying, submission, your first sale, and beyond. This is your couch to 5k... for writing.
Description:
So you want a book deal? The good news is that you don't have to live in New York, have an MFA, be 22, own a Pulitzer, or be Stephen King's cousin. The bad news is that you have to be tenacious, work hard, and grow a painfully thick skin. This presentation will break down the steps of traditional publishing from your first draft through launch day and beyond, including how to write a query, where to find literary agents, how to deal with the inevitable rejections, how to stay sane during submissions to editors, and how to keep leveling up as a writer.
Social media makes it easier than ever to blunder in the public forum. Learn how to avoid making those blunders -- & just as importantly, how to recover from the ones you do make.
Business of Writing: Second Stage Writing Career—What to Expect
Summary:
Once you're no longer the new kid on the block, different challenges & opportunities will confront you. Learn from writers who've been there what to expect & how to take advantage of it.
Business of Writing: Self-Publishing—Why it Works, Why it Doesn’t.
Summary:
Join award-winning author Maxwell Alexander Drake as he delves into this attractive, yet rarely lucrative world that has such a negative reputation, laying out the hard truths about taking this path.
Description:
In this new "Digital Age of Publishing", writers are flocking to the Self-Publishing market in droves. But is this a good thing, or bad? Join award-winning author Maxwell Alexander Drake as he delves into this very attractive, yet rarely lucrative world that has such a negative reputation, laying out the hard truths about taking this path to publication.
Knowing what an editor wants is a crucial first step to getting published. Learn not only how editors choose which stories to print, but the signs of good (& bad) writing that they look for.
Business of Writing: Zen and the Art of Author Street Team Maintenance
Summary:
In this workshop, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of having your very own author street team, as well as how to use your team effectively in a way that is tailored to your personality style.
Description:
Does the concept of a street team fill you with questions and dread? Do you like the idea of having minions to do your bidding, but have no idea how to keep them under your control? Do you like the idea of a street team but aren’t sure how it wil work for you in a virtual way? Have no fear! After attending this workshop, you’ll know all the benefits and challenges of having your very own author street team, and you’ll be able to use your team effectively in a way that is tailored to your personality style, no matter if you are an introvert or a social butterfly.
A mishandled character can ruin even the best story. Learn how to define your character's background & purpose, attract the reader's attention by making him relatable & sympathetic, and more.
Character Craft: Build Them Up After Tearing Them Down
Summary:
Destroying characters and smashing their puny lives is easy (and kind of fun), but in this panel we'll teach you how to pick up the pieces and build the character back up afterwards.